Does Pitch Arsenal Really Matter?

In my research over the last couple of months, I have been paying close attention to the pitch mix of each pitcher I study. This means I want to know how many different pitches they can throw and how they distribute those different offerings. It seemed logical to me that pitchers with more pitches in... Read More

Sean Manaea Focusing On Health, Confidence In 2021

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea is entering his sixth MLB season and believes he took the steps necessary this offseason to stay healthy and lead the starting rotation. Manaea is two years removed from surgery that caused him to miss most of 2019 and said he changed his offseason routine to focus on his... Read More

Mark Canha, Ramon Laureano Candidates To Lead Off For A's

Oakland Athletics outfielders Mark Canha and Ramon Laureano were mentioned by manager Bob Melvin as candidates to lead off this season, according to MLB.com's Martin Gallegos. Marcus Semien has been entrenched as Oakland's leadoff hitter for three straight years and scored 240 runs in that span, tied for 11th in baseball. Semien's replacement, Elvis Andrus... Read More

Four-Seamer Could Be Key For Frankie Montas

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas posted a pristine 2.63 ERA with a 20.3 K-BB percentage and a 96th-percentile barrel rate (3.8 percent) in 2019, but he was also hit with an 80-game suspension for violating the league's drug program. The right-hander started strong last year but finished with a 5.60 ERA, a 15.6 K-BB... Read More

Jon Anderson's Third Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

Welcome back to my own personal rankings series! Today we're covering third base, but you can check out the rest of the series at the links below: First Base Second Base Shortstop Third base may be the deepest position in terms of total statistical production that will come out of it, but that does not... Read More

Is J.T. Realmuto Worth the Draft Cost?

Every year, there seems to be one catcher who stands above all others when it comes to fantasy value and consequently draft price. In 2017, it was Gary Sanchez. In 2018, Salvador Perez. After the 2019 and 2020 seasons, J.T. Realmuto has clearly emerged as the top backstop in fantasy. Catcher is one of the... Read More

2021 Third Base Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We continue to move past the chaos of 2020 and onto a new baseball season full of promise. For fantasy baseball managers, draft season is already upon us. RotoBaller's rankers, Pierre Camus, Big Pick Nick Mariano, and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the hot corner.... Read More

Matt Chapman Has No Restrictions This Spring

Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman (hip), who was limited to just 37 games last year due to a right hip issue that required surgery, slimmed down in the offseason after rehabbing and said that he has "no restrictions coming into spring training." The lingering hip injury required heavy daily maintenance in order to loosen... Read More

Matt Olson Could Rebound In 2021

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson hit 14 home runs while playing in all 60 games in 2020, but his wOBA fell to .311 while his batting average sat at .195. Olson struck out a career-high 31.4 percent of the time last year, compared to a career rate closer to 25.0 percent in his first... Read More

MLB Spring Training Notebook - February 23rd

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We've at least made it through the first... Read More

2021 Shortstop Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

Once upon a time, shortstop was one of the toughest positions to fill in fantasy baseball, just a small notch above catcher. 10 years ago, we were prioritizing Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez near the top of drafts just because they filled that elusive shortstop spot. Sure, they were fantastic hitters – when healthy –... Read More

Jon Anderson's First Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

One way to improve at drafting a fantasy baseball team is to shift your focus away from straight-ordered rankings and into tiered rankings. This helps you identify spots in the draft where you need to prioritize a certain position and times when you can wait. The difference between the #2 and #3 first baseman is... Read More

2021 Second Base Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We continue to move past the chaos of 2020 and onto a new baseball season full of promise. For fantasy baseball managers, draft season is already upon us. RotoBaller's rankers, Pierre Camus, Big Pick Nick Mariano, and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the keystone position.... Read More

Are We Overvaluing Innings Pitched Projections?

One of the biggest questions that the 2020 season has caused for 2021 is concerning starting pitcher inning totals. The league leader in regular-season innings last year, as you've probably heard, was Lance Lynn with 84 innings. The average total for pitchers who made 10 or more starts was just 60 innings. In years prior... Read More

Sean Murphy Reports To A's Camp

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy (lung) reported to camp with the rest of the pitchers and catchers. Murphy, who had offseason surgery to repair a collapsed lung, told manager Bob Melvin, "I feel great right now," and is expected to be back by Opening Day. Melvin told reporters last week the hope is Murphy can... Read More

Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Part 2)

Welcome back RotoBallers to Part 2 of my dynasty prospects list, breaking down the 51-150 ranked prospects. You can also read Part 1 and Part 3 from a few days ago, looking at the 1-50 and 151-250 ranked prospects. RotoBaller's Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects list is back and refreshed for the 2021 season. Baseball has... Read More

Jesus Luzardo Poised For A Breakout?

Oakland Athletics left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo made his first nine career starts in 2020 and had a 4.12 ERA (101 ERA+), but he had a 45 percent whiff rate on curveballs and changeups. The 23-year-old would've also had a 2.93 ERA on the year if two of his poor starts, in which he allowed four... Read More

MLB Spring Training Notebook - February 19th

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, things are at least a little more... Read More

MLB Spring Training Notebook - February 18th

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, things are at least a little more... Read More

Mitch Moreland Signs One-Year Deal With Oakland

The Oakland Athletics and first baseman Mitch Moreland agreed to a one-year Major League contract, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Moreland adds a left-handed bat to a largely right-handed A's lineup and figures to get most of his at-bats as a designated hitter while also filling in occasionally for Matt Olson at first base.... Read More

Trevor Rosenthal Agrees To One-Year Deal With A's

The Oakland Athletics and relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal are in agreement on a one-year, $11 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Rosenthal figures to slot into the closer role after Liam Hendriks departed Oakland in free agency. Rosenthal was superb last season, converting 11 of 12 save chances with a 1.90 ERA... Read More

Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Part 1)

RotoBaller's Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects list is back and refreshed for the 2021 season. Baseball has undergone a lot of change over the past 12 months due to the pandemic and no area of the game has been more heavily impacted than the minor leagues. Since this time last year, Minor League Baseball has... Read More

2021 First Base Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

The chaotic, wild, and confusing 2020 COVID season is now thankfully behind us, am I right fellow Red Sox fans? But now is the hardest part in terms of fantasy implications from the pandemic as we try to decipher how much of 2020's statistics are actually viable data for 2021 projections. Small playing time samples,... Read More

Frankie Montas Not At Camp Due To COVID-19

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas did not report to A's camp after he tested positive for COVID-19. According to reports, Montas tested positive seven days ago and will report to camp once he clears the league's safety protocols. The right-hander flopped to a 5.60 ERA last season, but his 4.40 SIERA suggests he was... Read More

Sean Murphy Expected Back For Opening Day After Lung Surgery

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy (lung) did not report to camp as he recovers from offseason surgery due to a collapsed lung. Manager Bob Melvin said the surgery was at least a couple of weeks ago, and that Murphy should be back for Opening Day. The hope is for Murphy to return during camp and... Read More

Prospects to Know in 2021 - AL Central

The Super Bowl is over and we are officially on to baseball season! So what better way to celebrate the new baseball year than by talking about prospects? Last week, I took a look at the prospects to know in the NL Central. This week we're switching leagues and taking a look at five prospects... Read More

Sergio Romo Signs With A's

The Oakland Athletics and relief pitcher Sergio Romo agreed to a one-year, $2.55 million contract pending a physical. The veteran right-hander will be 38-years-old on Opening Day but has been a solid relief option in recent years. Romo converted five saves in six chances last season with Minnesota and had 25 and 20 saves respectively... Read More

Sneaky Starters - Deceptive Pitchers Who Could Be Draft Steals

Earlier this week, I was reading Michael Ajeto's article on PitcherList about Brady Singer. In the article, Michael touted Singer's deception and mentioned a sign of that being Singer's Zone Swing Rate (Z-Swing%) minus his Chase Rate (O-Swing%). The premise of the concept was simple but one that stood out to me immediately. Z-Swing% measures... Read More

Outfield Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

We've already gone around the infield with a look at first base, second base, third base, and shortstop. Let's head to the outfield now to break down the long list of outfielders that have fantasy relevance in 2021 and beyond. All of the players listed have outfield eligibility, although several will be used at shallower... Read More

2021 Catcher Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

The chaotic, wild, and confusing 2020 COVID season is now thankfully behind us, am I right fellow Red Sox fans? But now is the hardest part in terms of fantasy implications from the pandemic as we try to decipher how much of 2020's statistics are actually viable data for 2021 projections. Small playing time samples,... Read More